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C-reactive protein as a risk factor versus risk marker

Moniek Pm de Maat1, Astrid Trion

  • 1Department of Hematology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. m.demaat@erasmusmc.nl

Current Opinion in Lipidology
|November 6, 2004
PubMed

Insights

C-reactive protein (CRP) is linked to cardiovascular disease. Emerging evidence suggests CRP may play a causal role, though recent studies indicate its contribution might be less significant than previously thought.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Science
  • Cardiology
  • Inflammation Research

Background:

  • C-reactive protein (CRP) is consistently associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) in various studies.
  • Plasma CRP levels are considered indicators of the patient's or vessel wall's inflammatory state.
  • Indications suggest a potential causal role for CRP in CVD pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent evidence on the mechanisms linking CRP to cardiovascular disease.
  • To evaluate the accumulating evidence for CRP's causal role in CVD.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent publications on CRP and cardiovascular disease.
  • Analysis of evidence from human-CRP transgenic animal models.
  • Inclusion of data from a large prospective study and an updated meta-analysis.

Main Results:

  • New publications indicate potential causal effects of CRP on CVD.
  • Evidence from transgenic animal models supports CRP's causal contribution.
  • A large prospective study and meta-analysis suggest a less impressive contribution of CRP to CVD than previously reported (OR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.48-1.68).

Conclusions:

  • Evidence is accumulating for CRP's involvement as a causal factor in cardiovascular disease precipitation.
  • The review focuses on the most recent evidence regarding these causal mechanisms.
Abstract

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